Thursday, June 22, 2017

Nintendo Switch is an amazing video game console and when I first got my hands on it, I immediately fell in love with it. The ability to go from portable mode to TV works flawlessly, and it all comes down to the genius design of the console. Nintendo has nailed the screen size of the device, to diminish the disparity between the modes – making sure the same game works perfectly on both modes. We investigated a lot of this when we ported a portable game (iPhone, iPad) to the big screen for PC and consoles and it is not as simple as it sounds. People have different expectations when it comes to big screen titles.

Oceanhorn on Switch is probably the most definite version of the game. The game is based on the remastered PC version of Oceanhorn and you can play it in both portable and TV mode. The game runs beautifully 60 fps / 1080p in docked mode and equally impressively 60 fps / 720p in portable mode. The game includes an amazing soundtrack from the industry legends Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito, and our own brilliant composer Kalle Ylitalo. Voice talents range from Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV, Noctis) and Kevan Brighting (Stanley Parable, Narrator) to Fryda Wolf (Mass Effect Andromeda, Sara Ryder). We could not be more excited to give Nintendo fans a chance to enter the world of Oceanhorn.

Oceanhorn on Switch is probably the most definite version of the game.

From the personal perspective of a small indie developer, this moment feels historical. Like many others, I grew up with Nintendo consoles and games, and this Kyoto-based company will always have a special place in my heart. Nintendo has played a crucial part in the history of video games ever since the dawn of home consoles, and they keep setting the standard for video game entertainment from one decade to another.

From this love and admiration, comes my driving force to cherish the experiences I had in my childhood. I got into making video games, because of the ever-inspiring experiences such as Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Zelda.

Oceanhorn is a game for the Nintendo fans, because it was made by a bunch of them. We are well aware that it is a smaller title and a different title from many of the console experiences that inspired it – but I truly believe that we were able to capture some of the essence of the classics in this game, as well as establish Oceanhorn as a franchise of its own.